Light on a Page
by YinYangWriter
Summary: Part 3 of the L&S series. A class assignment forces the LYOKO warriors to look closely at their friendships. A bit short, but cute.
1. The Assignment

**This is the third installment of my Light and Shadow series. I do not own **_**Code: LYOKO**_**, however, Eva and Kayla are both my characters. Reviews are welcome. If you do not feel comfortable with posting on the review board, send a PM. Enjoy.**

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><p>Yumi hummed as she prepared herself for her English class. Rumor had it that Ms. Kensington had a particularly hard assignment in the works for them. However the rumor had been started by Sissi and that meant it was not to be trusted.<p>

Eva sat beside her, writing in the margins of her notebook. Yumi peeked over to see what she was writing.

"The shadows I personify

Often belie

Who I really am on the inside

Because I hide."

Eva's pencil stopped moving and Yumi met her hair-obstructed gaze.

"Sorry," Yumi apologized.

Eva smiled faintly at her friend. "Don't worry about it," she said. "I don't mind you looking over my shoulder. Now if it was Sissi, I would slam the book shut and tell her off."

Yumi laughed. "I don't think I ever heard you tell Sissi off," she said.

"A good thing, too," Eva said. "It would probably get me in a load of trouble."

"I noticed that you have a knack for seeing passed appearances," Yumi said. "You would probably peg Sissi to the wall with one of your comments."

Eva agreed with a simple hum.

Class began with Ms. Kensington's lesson on writing essays. Yumi felt herself nodding off and saw Eva doing the same thing.

"All right," said Ms. Kensington at the end of class. "Your homework assignment tonight is to write an essay about someone you know. It can be a friend or a parent, but you must know them personally. You are to write these as if they were an entry in your personal journal and that you are the only ones who are going to read them."

Everyone groaned.

"Don't fret," Ms. Kensington said. "I've given this assignment to the ninth grade as well."

"Oh, boy," said Yumi.

Class was dismissed and the LYOKO warriors met up in Jeremy's room.

"Can you believe Ms. Kensington?" Odd griped.

"I don't like the assignment either, Odd," Kayla said. "I don't know who to write about. I want to write about you guys, but I can't write about all of you."

"I have programming I need to do," said Jeremy.

Odd turned to Eva. "Any chance I can convince you to do it for me?" he asked.

"Not likely," Eva replied.

"I have an idea," said Aelita.

Aelita picked up a sheet of notebook paper and wrote something on it before tearing it up into seven pieces and folding them up. Jeremy's wastebasket was empty so she put the slips of paper inside and shook it up.

"I wrote our names on those slips of paper," she explained. "We'll draw lots to see who writes about whom. If we get our own name, we throw it back in and choose again. It keeps everything fair and no two people will write the same paper."

"Great idea, Aelita," said Ulrich. "I'll go first."

Ulrich reached into the wastebasket and selected a name.

"Who did you get?" asked Odd.

"I'm not telling," said Ulrich, coloring ever so slightly.

"All the more fun," said Eva. "There's no pressure on the writer about his or her subject."

The wastebasket was passed around, each of them selecting a name, looking at it, and putting it in their pocket.

"Okay," said Jeremy. "Now that we have that settled, let's start our assignment."

"See you tomorrow, Jeremy," said Kayla. "Call me if something happens."

"I better go, too," said Yumi. "This could be a tough one."

"I'll walk you to your room, Aelita," said Eva.

"Okay," said Aelita.

"We're down the hall if you need us, Jeremy," said Ulrich.

They all went to their rooms to write their essay.


	2. Jeremy's Essay

Jeremy sat at his computer reviewing his program. The slip of paper with the name on it was laying on the corner of his desk. He looked over at it and stared.

"Well, this essay isn't going to write itself," Jeremy said.

He unfolded the slip of paper and took a moment to look at the name, thinking about what he could write.

Written in Aelita's handwriting was the name of his subject: Kayla.

The essay would have been a lot simpler if he had chosen Aelita or Odd. At least he hadn't drawn Eva's name, then the essay would have taken all night. But what could he say about Kayla?

Kayla was smart, caring, patient beyond comparison to most of the student body and some teachers. She was fourteen, but she was smarter than Jeremy in some fields, especially first aid. Then again, look who she hung out with. She would need to be knowledgeable in the medical field. It was a good thing her parents were a doctor and a nurse.

Jeremy smiled and took out some paper to write his essay.

_I have several friends, but the one I am choosing to write about is Kayla Olson. Kayla is a kind person and very smart. We may not like the same things, but we do get along quite well. Though she may look like a normal ninth grade student, there is much more to her._

_When I first met Kayla, I thought nothing of it. She was a new student who just transferred from another school. She looked like another student. On her first day of school, she looked a bit lost, so my friends welcomed her to our lunch table. It was then I learned that Kayla was not so ordinary. She was more advanced in her science and math courses and was put in with the tenth grade students._

_As time went on, I learned more about Kayla. Both her parents work in the medical field. Her mother is an ER nurse and her father is a doctor in the children's ward. Kayla had learned a few things from them when it came to bandaging minor injuries. She even helped Nurse Perraudin when all the lights on campus randomly exploded._

_In addition, I learned how patient Kayla can be. She handles Odd's jokes, both good and bad, with ease. I never saw her lose her temper before. She is always cheerful to others and you cannot help but smile when she is around. She is a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. I think that is why Odd secretly calls her sunshine when he thinks no one will hear him._

_In conclusion, Kayla Olson is a great friend because of how patient and kind she can be. She enjoys helping others and can always make them smile. I respect her intelligence since I know she can give me a run for my money on a science project. She can also take a joke, no matter how lame it is. I am very glad to have her for a friend._

Jeremy put his pencil down and massaged the cramp in his hand. He smiled as he reviewed his essay. He was certain he did Kayla justice. Had he covered everything? Smart, kind, helpful. Yes, he had covered everything. Jeremy looked over the essay one more time to see what he could improve on before tucking it in his bag for Ms. Kensington tomorrow.


	3. Aelita's Essay

Aelita tapped her pen to her lips. Odd's name was written on the slip of paper that lay off to the side of her desk. There were so many things she could write about Odd, most of them good.

_My friend, Odd, can be a very amusing person. He may not have the highest grades in class, but what he lacks in intelligence, he makes up for in character. Odd can be very funny, and though his jokes are sometimes lame, they are lame enough to get a small laugh out of. He loves art class and making music videos. I think he also has a goal in life to date every girl in our grade. Nothing is ever dull with him around._

_Even though grades play a large role in our academic lives, Odd does not seem to care about them. He believes it is more important to have fun with life than stay in a classroom all day. That is probably why he is on the verge of failing more than one class. He enjoys art class and he is really good at drawing, then again he tends to doodle when he is not sleeping in class._

_Although he can be annoying, Odd basically keeps the rest of us sane. I do not know what I would do without him. If he did not make me laugh, I do not believe school would be the same. Sure, some of his jokes are lame, but now and then he comes out with one that makes me laugh so hard I think I need to go to the bathroom._

_Despite the fact that few like to admit it, Odd has this aura around him that makes him lovable even when someone is angry at him. I think that is why the girls in our grade go out with him even though they know the relationship is not going to last very long. That same trait gets him out of trouble with Jim and the other teachers as well as receiving extra portions from Rosa, the lunch lady._

_In summation, Odd is talented in his own way. His grades may be less than desired, but he is talented in art. He keeps the rest of us sane and he has charm. Even if he is eccentric to the point of insanity, he is a great friend._

Aelita put her pen down and turned off her desk lamp. She put the essay in her English folder and gathered her things for the shower.


	4. Yumi's Essay

Yumi lay on her stomach in her room, staring at a blank piece of paper. She had drawn Jeremy's name from the lot. After fighting for some peace and quiet because Hiroki would not leave her alone, Yumi had locked her door and shoved some cotton in her ears to block out the noise so she could think.

"Write it like your own journal entry," she murmured to herself.

That was what Ms. Kensington had told them to do. But should she? Was this one of those assignments to see how you applied your knowledge outside of class? Yumi did not want to start writing like she usually did and get a low grade for it.

Yumi shrugged. "Well, I'm following her instructions."

_I thought I would write about my yuujin (friend) Jeremy Belpois today. He is not like the other students. In fact, he is nothing like anyone I met before. He is socially awkward, but what he lacks in social skills he makes up for in brains. He's a wiz at computer programs._

_I have to admit I'm a bit jealous of him. I try so hard to keep my grades, but he makes it so simple. He does his homework and easily has time to program something. Sometimes I wish I was as smart as him, then I wouldn't have to argue with my parents over my grades. I mean, I try my best._

_But I don't envy him when it comes to gym class. He's the least athletic_ _person I know. Well, maybe not. There's always Herb Pichon._

_Anyway, I don't know what I would do without him. In his own way, Jeremy's cool._

"There," said Yumi.

It was difficult to write about Jeremy without revealing anything about LYOKO.

Now that her homework was out of the way, Yumi went to the bathroom to take her bath.

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><p><strong>Pray for those in Japan who were involved in the March 11 quake.<strong>


	5. Ulrich's Essay

Ulrich had his essay ready to write, but he was leery to do so. Odd was sitting nearby with a tablet in his hand. Kiwi was sitting at his feet with a chew toy. Ulrich didn't care that he had chosen Yumi's name, but he did mind that the worst person at keeping secrets was in the same room as him.

Odd was chewing on the end of his pencil. Ulrich thought it safe to bet that he would be too deep in thought to know what he was writing.

_Since I began school here, I have become very close to Yumi Ishiyama. In a lot of ways, she's like me. We both have family problems and we both like martial arts. I like learning about her Japanese heritage._

_I don't know why I became friends with her in the first place. Maybe it was because we were the only ones in the martial arts club Jim started. From there, our friendship grew._

_Yumi is a very caring person, although she can be downright stubborn some days. Stubborn or not, she's more logical than I am. I'm usually impulsive and don't think of the consequences of my actions. Yumi does, and she stops me from doing something extremely stupid that could possibly get me expelled._

_I learned a lot about Yumi's heritage. I don't know what made me start researching Japanese culture, but I'm glad I did. It's put me on her good side a bunch of times. Which is great, because she sometimes has a short temper._

_There may be flaws in our friendship, but I'm glad it's there. Yumi's a good friend and I wouldn't trade her for anything._

Ulrich quickly put his essay into his bag before Odd had a chance to see it. He glanced over at Odd and found him writing furiously, his tongue peeking out of the corner of his mouth. Ulrich wondered who he was writing about that had him so focused.


	6. Odd's Essay

Odd wondered whose name Ulrich picked out of the wastebasket lot, but he had a good idea who it was when he started blushing. He could pick on Ulrich later, but this essay needed to be written. Odd needed a good grade on this essay and he had the perfect person to talk about, it was just a matter of getting the right words.

_I must say that some of the things that go on at Kadic are boring beyond tears. But when Eva Maverick moved in, everything changed. She's not like any of the other students who live here. Eva's got this air of mystery around her. So she's different. It's what makes her different._

_First of all, Eva is an amazing street dancer. The way she can leap into the air and flip around and spin on her hands is amazing. I have always been fascinated with street dancing and now there's one in Kadic's dorms. On top of that, Eva's athleticism is amazing. She can run circles around Jim. It's like she never gets tired._

_Second, Eva is one of the smartest people I know. She has a way with words. I'm told that she writes these amazing poems. Her friend, Kayla, also says she writes short stories as well. It would be cool if she could write some lyrics to go with some music I've come up with._

_In all of this, there is a drawback. She looks so sad all the time. She wears a scowl to hide her pain, but I can see through it. It's the same scowl Ulrich has sometimes. Honestly, I think they're related, maybe even twins! I'm sure if you put Eva and Ulrich side by side in a room full of people who didn't know them, they would think that they were brother and sister. Maybe one of them got stolen in the hospital when they were born._

_Though she may come off a bit coarse, Eva's a good friend. We can learn so much from each other. She teaches me about words and I make her laugh. It's a fair trade all around._

Odd tore off the essay from the tablet and put it in his bag, away from Kiwi. He saw Ulrich was finished and was watching him from his bed.

"So, who did you get?" asked Ulrich.

Odd smiled. "I'm not telling."


	7. Kayla's Essay

Kayla sat in her room, Bon Ami laying on the foot of her bed. He looked so cute lying there, curled up like a gold throw pillow.

"Now to write," she said, taking out Ulrich's name from her pocket. Kayla smiled. "This will be easy."

_I must say that my friend, Ulrich, is a good guy. He keeps to himself, but he knows when to take action. He is driven and will pursue his goal to the end. I think he's a bit shy, but that is just my opinion._

_Ulrich is a lot like my friend, Eva. If I did not know better, I would think that they were related. Other than the physical similarities, they share the same personality: quiet, persistent_,_ headstrong to the point of stubborn._

_Ulrich excels in sports, especially soccer. He is very fast, faster than most students in our grade. Also he practices Pencat Silat, a form of martial arts. I think the martial arts keeps his head on straight. He's not hotheaded like some athletic students are._

_I am glad to have him as a friend. He is athletic and quiet. Ulrich is one of those people who will get the job done. The world needs more people like him._

Bon Ami jumped off the bed and barked.

"Okay," said Kayla. "I'll take you out."


	8. Eva's Essay

While the others were having an easy time with their essays, Eva was fighting to keep herself under control. She would begin writing something about Aelita (the name she picked out of the wastebasket lot) and then would have to get up and move around the room to take her mind off it. Her paper was almost complete, but Eva wished it had been over long ago.

_When I came to Kadic, I only had one friend. I was glad she transferred with me. I knew changing schools in the middle of the semester would be difficult, but I did not anticipate how difficult. I made friends right away, but old memories began to churn and make themselves known again. The person and friend who churn up most of those memories was Aelita Stones._

_Aelita is a gentle young lady_ _who can be a little naive at times. She reminds me of my sister, who died two years ago. I feel the need to protect her._

_In addition to reminding me of my sister, Aelita is also very intelligent. She is the youngest of my group of friends here, but she is in my grade. It may also be why a feel drawn to her. Both of us are ahead in our studies in some ways._

_Though my heart aches when I look at her, I like being friends with Aelita. It is forcing me to deal with painful memories that will never be forgotten. I am very happy to have met her and that she returns my friendship._

Eva put her pen down and dashed a hand across her eyes. Memories of Mackenzie surfaced, good memories, that made Eva want to break down and cry.

She packed up her essay and turned off all the lights. For a long time, Eva lay in bed staring up at the ceiling.


	9. Presentations

Yumi was at English class before Eva the next day. She noticed a box of envelopes on Ms. Kensington's desk. Something was up and Yumi was sure she was not going to like it.

"Hey," Yumi said to Eva when she plopped into her seat. Eva put her head in her hands and brushed some of her hair back. Yumi caught a brief view of one of the many scars on her body. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," breathed Eva in a way that told Yumi she was not okay. "Did you get your essay done?"

"Uh-huh," said Yumi. "I'm a little worried about it. Ms. Kensington did tell us to write freely, so I did."

Eva glanced at her. "You didn't — "

"No," Yumi quickly said. "Nothing about LYOKO."

Eva looked at the box of envelopes on the teacher's desk. "Any idea what's up with those?"

"Not a clue," answered Yumi.

Ms. Kensington entered the room and picked up the box of envelopes and began passing them out.

"All right, class," she said. "This is what you are going to do. You are going to take your essay and put it in this envelope. You are going to write the person you wrote about's name on the envelope and you are going to give it to them."

Yumi and Eva flinched. Silently, Yumi was thankful that she didn't draw Ulrich's name from the wastebasket. But when she glanced over at Eva, Yumi could tell that she was not happy about this.

Both girls put their essays in their envelopes.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours," said Yumi, preparing to write the name.

Eva nodded.

They both wrote the names.

"Aelita?" asked Yumi. "You got Aelita? What are you so worried about then?"

"I wrote freely," Eva replied. "I mean, I really wrote freely."

"Well, this is interesting," said Jeremy when they got out of class.

They were sitting on the benches outside of the classrooms.

"Who would have thought Ms. Kensington would pull a fast one on us?" said Odd. "I'm a little afraid of the person I have to get my essay to."

"Why's that, Odd?" asked Aelita.

"Well," Odd drew out, looking over at Eva.

Eva perked up. "You got my name?" she asked.

Odd grabbed the envelope. "Yeah," he replied, shoving it at her. "Here."

They all handed out their essays to the people they wrote about. No one spoke as they read what their friends wrote about them.

"You really think that?" Kayla asked Jeremy.

"Of course," Jeremy replied.

"You really think I could be related to Ulrich?" asked Eva.

"What?" asked Ulrich. "Kayla said the same thing about me."

"Well, you do look alike," said Odd. "Thanks, princess. I always knew I could count on you to say great things about me."

"And I wouldn't mind writing lyrics," Eva added. "Just tell me what you want me to write."

"Thank you, Ulrich," Yumi said.

"No problem," Ulrich said with a bit of blush.

Aelita stood up and walked over to Eva. Before Eva could react, Aelita gave her a hug. Stunned at first, Eva returned Aelita's hug.

"I needed that," Eva said.

"What's this about?" asked Odd. "How come you don't randomly hug me?"

"I fake kissed you," Aelita said. "Aren't you happy with that?"

They all laughed.

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><p><strong>This mostly is foreshadowing for what is to come. Keep your eyes open for more of Eva and Kayla in upcoming fan fictions.<strong>


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